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Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of paint brushes. More specifically, the invention comprises a removable cover which locks over a paint brush to properly align the paint brush bristles while the brush is not in use. The cover is designed to slightly compress the bristles and hold them in the proper orientation so that they remain in the desired shape over extended use.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paint brush sleeves and holders have been in common use for decades. A simple hanging sleeve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,136,409 to Schuman (1964). It discloses a clear plastic sleeve which fits over a paint brush""s bristle and allows the brush to be hung in an inverted position. The inverted position often accelerates bristly drying. In such a configuration, however, the bristles have a tendency to splayxe2x80x94since they are heaviest when wet. A similar inverted hanging sleeve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,989 to Dgetluck (1969). The reader will note that both sleeves must be carefully sized to fit a particular brush. They are not adaptable to a variety of brushes.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,399 to Crouch (1976) discloses a bristle protector designed to hold a paint brush with its bristles facing downward. The Crouch device also incorporates walls which press against the bristles during the drying process, thereby tending to force the bristles into the desired shape. The device holds the bristles well, but it is quite complicatedxe2x80x94requiring several interacting parts. It also must be carefully sized to fit a particular brush.
Another type of bristle sleeve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,847,939 to Derencsenyi et al. (1989). The ""939 device discloses a pliable sleeve intended to slip over the brush. An undercut section engages the metal stock (given the number xe2x80x9c22xe2x80x9d in the disclosure) to hold itself in place. As this is a sliding frictional fit, the device must be very closely sized to fit a particular brush. It would not function for an identically-sized brush made by another manufacturerxe2x80x94since the shape and thickness of the metal stock tends to vary from brush to brush. It also fails to compress the bristles into the desired tapered shape.
Several more recent inventions have enclosed paint brushes using folding flaps. One example of this approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,453 to Landmeier (1995). The Landmeier device uses folding flaps secured over the bristles by a latching mechanism. Vent holes are provided to aid drying. A similar but more sophisticated design is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,973 to Shteynberg (1993). The Shteynberg design uses locking snaps to hold the bristle cover in place.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,959 to Crosby et al. (1994) discloses a bristle cover made from folding panels. The panels are secured in place using several interlocking tabs and slits (thereby eliminating the need for separate fasteners). While effective, the Crosby device is difficult to assemble, in that the user must place a minimum of three tabs in three slots to secure the device on the paint brush.
A folding plastic case is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,167 to Conrad (1997). Basically a clamshell design, the Conrad device locks over a paint brush using plastic snap latches. Because it is substantially rigid, however, it has difficulty accommodating variation in paint brush widths and thicknesses.
Accordingly, the prior art devices are limited in that they:
1. Are cumbersome to apply to a paint brush;
2. Do not accommodate variations in paint brush size; and
3. Do not hold the bristles in the desired tapered configuration.
The present invention encapsulates a paint brushxe2x80x94including its bristlesxe2x80x94using a series of folding flaps. The flaps are connected in such a way that, when folded, they force the bristles into the desired tapered configuration. The invention""s primary advantage lies in its method of closure: Two elastic bands are affixed to one of the flaps. The user simply passes these bands around the folded device, thereby securing it to the paint brush. The elastic bands place a small compressive force on the brush and bristles, helping to keep the bristles in the proper orientation. The elastic nature of the closure method also allows the device to accommodate a wide variety of brushes.
Accordingly, the present invention seeks to provide a paint brush bristle cover which:
1. Is easy to apply to a paint brush;
2. Can accommodate variations in paint brush size; and
3. Holds the bristles in the desired tapered configuration.